Near midday, the four of them sat around a dining table in the courtyard. There was no kitchen that could be used—the building had been destroyed, leaving only piles of rubble—so Yun Wu's courtyard became the only suitable place.
There, Xue Yunxue stood beside a simple grill, preparing barbecue from the freshly hunted meat Yun Wu had brought back. Her hands moved deftly as she sliced the meat, the knife in her grip steady and calm.
Xiang Shuai stared at her without blinking.
"She's holding a knife to cook… not to kill?" he muttered softly, almost as if speaking to himself.
Luo Shixin cast him a brief glance. The general's face remained expressionless, yet his eyes were sharp and observant—no detail escaped this famously cold-blooded and ruthless man.
The aroma of meat sizzling over hot coals slowly spread through the air, teasing the senses of the beast men. It wasn't only the three men at the table who were affected—several pairs of eyes peeked from behind the wooden fence, small bodies hiding as they swallowed their saliva. Beast children who had been wandering around the courtyard since morning could no longer suppress their hunger; they gathered together, drool dripping shamelessly.
Before long, several large plates piled high with grilled meat were placed on the table.
Xiang Shuai and Luo Shixin stared at the amount of food before them in astonishment. Such a large stack of grilled meat had been prepared by Xue Yunxue in a very short time. Her ability to cook so efficiently made it seem as though she was already accustomed to doing so.
Yun Wu, meanwhile, did not hesitate at all. He pulled a plate toward himself and bit into the grilled meat with enthusiasm.
Juices dripped from the corner of his lips. His slender, handsome mouth was smeared with oil from the perfectly grilled meat. His wolf ears and tail popped out without him realizing it, twitching lightly—an honest sign of satisfaction.
Seeing Yun Wu eat so greedily and happily, Luo Shixin finally picked up a piece of meat. With calm, dignified movements, he took a small bite.
His eyes lit up instantly.
The meat was tender, juicy, and warm. Its savory flavor spread across his tongue, enriched by the aroma of unfamiliar spices that somehow deepened the taste even further. He was stunned—throughout his life, he had tasted countless dishes in palaces, military camps, and distant lands, yet never had such a simple meal felt so… satisfying.
Watching the wolf and the eagle eat without hesitation, Xiang Shuai finally tried a piece as well.
The moment the meat touched his tongue, its rich aroma coiled through his mouth. His saliva nearly dripped. The food was simple—far too simple. As the youngest prince of the Kingdom of Sheluo, he had tasted the finest cuisines from countless lands. Very little could truly surprise him.
Yet this grilled meat was different.
Not luxurious. Not complicated. And yet, somehow, incredibly delicious.
"This woman…" he murmured inwardly, confused. "Is she a goddess of cooking?"
At the same time, Xue Yunxue noticed the small gazes peeking from behind the fence. She turned and saw the beast children still hiding there, their eyes shining, saliva dripping freely.
Without the slightest hesitation, Xue Yunxue took several pieces of meat from a large plate until she held a small mound in her hands. She trotted lightly toward the fence, her steps quick yet careful. The smile on her face was simple—light, sincere, without pretense—as she approached the children who had been peeking with hungry eyes.
She handed the meat to them.
Without shame or forced politeness, the starving children immediately scrambled for it. Small hands moved quickly, laughter mixed with hungry snorts echoing together. In an instant, the pile of food vanished, transferred into small stomachs that were likely rarely filled properly.
Luo Shixin did not miss that scene.
His gaze locked onto Xue Yunxue's figure, intense and deep, as if something trembled within his chest. For a brief moment, his eyes quivered slightly.
On the other side, Yun Wu—still busy chewing—glanced toward Xue Yunxue interacting with the hungry children. Instantly, his gaze darkened. His wolf ears twitched faintly, an instinctive reaction he couldn't hide. His jaw continued to move, but his chewing slowed, nearly stopping, as though his thoughts had been pulled far away from the food in his mouth.
Meanwhile, Xiang Shuai did not turn his head at all.
Not because he didn't care, but because his mouth was currently incapable of doing anything other than swallowing. A snake could consume a large amount of food at once—and afterward survive for days without eating. The world around him barely mattered once his feeding instinct took over.
Lunch finally came to an end—having nearly consumed an entire cow just to satisfy three men, one young woman, and roughly a dozen children.
Their appetites are truly terrifying… Xue Yunxue thought, unable to hide her shock.
After that, a decision was made. Xue Yunxue would stay in turn at each of her beast husbands' homes, spending a full week at each place. The first turn fell to Yun Wu.
However, the plan soon encountered a small complication.
Xiang Shuai—the lazy snake—had eaten far too much meat. His bloated stomach left him barely able to move, let alone return to his own home. Heavy drowsiness weighed down his eyelids, and without the slightest sense of guilt, he decided to stay overnight at Yun Wu's house for the next few days.
That was simply how the snake was. After eating a huge amount of food, he could sleep for three full days just to digest it.
Yun Wu, of course, was not pleased. But his score with the snake was far from settled. Any damage done to his house because of Xiang Shuai—even a tiny scratch from a scale—would be meticulously calculated down to the last coin. Yun Wu had no intention of letting him off easily.
The upstairs rooms were still usable, although the ground floor—especially the kitchen—had suffered heavy damage. There were two bedrooms upstairs. One was already occupied by Xue Yunxue, while Xiang Shuai used the other. Coincidentally, the snake's room was directly opposite Xue Yunxue's. Yun Wu himself chose to remain in the downstairs room.
Several days passed peacefully.
Every morning, Yun Wu left after breakfast, leaving the house quiet. Xue Yunxue stayed home, spending her days calmly. On Luo Shixin's orders—having been deeply disturbed every time he saw the dog collar around Xue Yunxue's neck—Yun Wu finally removed it with great reluctance. In its place, he fastened a GPS bracelet around Xue Yunxue's wrist.
Naturally, Xue Yunxue was overjoyed. At least she no longer felt like she was carrying a bomb hanging from her neck—even though, in reality, it was nothing more than Yun Wu's trick.
Meanwhile, Xiang Shuai remained fast asleep.
The lazy snake slept for nearly five full days, completely unconcerned about the chaos he had left behind or the bill awaiting him when he eventually woke up.
"Xue Yunxue, it looks like I'll be home late today. Save my dinner," Yun Wu said before leaving that morning.
"Of course. I'll make a delicious meat stew today," Xue Yunxue replied lightly.
The night before, Yun Wu had brought home an astonishing catch—a giant buffalo weighing nearly two tons. Hearing Yunxue's cooking plans, Yun Wu had briefly frowned. She always referred to dishes using names unfamiliar to him. Still, as long as they tasted good, he never minded.
Since yesterday, Xue Yunxue had managed to develop her power to the point where she could grow plants directly from seeds. Thanks to that, she planted various spices without needing to buy them or search the forest. Several medicinal herbs also grew neatly in Yun Wu's courtyard. Throughout the day, Moa guided her in brewing potions—including the truth potion once used by Luo Shixin.
Xue Yunxue absorbed everything quickly. In her previous life, besides being skilled at cooking from living alone, she had also studied basic medicine at school. Now, her old knowledge and newfound power were slowly merging.
Yun Wu left Xue Yunxue at home with the still-sleeping snake.
Xue Yunxue busied herself in the courtyard, training her plant element. Although her overall power level grew very slowly, the plant element itself advanced rapidly thanks to Moa's help. Every leaf that grew and every bud that bloomed became proof that this power was taking root within her.
After finishing channeling her energy, she picked some herbs and fresh vegetables, then headed toward the kitchen that Yun Wu had roughly repaired. The building still looked crude, but it was sufficient for cooking.
Before starting dinner preparations, Xue Yunxue returned to her room to rest briefly. Just as she was about to open the door, she heard a rustling sound from the room directly opposite hers.
Carefully, Xue Yunxue cracked the door open and peeked inside to check on the snake. The sight made her scalp tingle. A massive silver serpent lay sprawled on the floor—its upper body transformed into a handsome man sleeping deeply, while its long tail trailed across the floor, nearly filling the entire room. The rustling sound she had heard came from the serpent's scales brushing against the wooden floor whenever it shifted in its sleep.
Xue Yunxue slowly closed the door again, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart, and returned to her own room.
She lay down on her bed. Training the plant element at such a low power level had proven surprisingly exhausting. Moa was also fast asleep. Over the past few days, the little creature had barely slept at night, always keeping watch while Xue Yunxue slept—afraid that the smelly wolf or the dead snake might do something dangerous to her. Yunxue silently thanked Moa from the bottom of her heart.
However, for some reason, an overwhelming drowsiness suddenly seized her. Her eyelids felt unbearably heavy, as though an invisible force was pulling her into sleep. As her consciousness blurred, she faintly heard a rustling sound outside the second-floor window.
"Who… is there?" her voice was weak, barely audible, as her eyes could hardly stay open.
Moments later, her vision went completely dark, and Xue Yunxue lost consciousness.
"Extraordinary… this girl is truly beautiful. Even her body is perfect," muttered one of the men standing beside Xue Yunxue's bed. His voice was hoarse, his gaze lewd. He wasn't very tall—around one hundred seventy-five centimeters—with tanned skin and a face full of lust. His saliva nearly dripped.
"Heh, that wolf really is clever," another man replied with a low laugh. "Who would've thought he was hiding such a beautiful prey."
"Hurry," the first man hissed urgently. "Take her away before that wolf comes back."
He quickly pulled out the rope he had prepared. With rough, practiced movements, Xue Yunxue's hands and feet were tightly bound. Without hesitation, he sealed her mouth with tape to ensure no sound could escape, then hoisted her slender body onto his shoulder. The two men fled and disappeared into the twilight.